


you find you're not the only stranger in this town

by bloodsparks



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Castiel (Supernatural)'s True Form, Castiel Saves Dean Winchester From Hell, Castiel's Grace, Confused Castiel, Dean Winchester is Saved, Dean in Hell, Episode: s04e01 Lazarus Rising, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-08
Updated: 2018-01-08
Packaged: 2019-03-02 01:35:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,301
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13307640
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bloodsparks/pseuds/bloodsparks
Summary: Castiel isn't used to speaking. That all changes the moment he reaches Dean Winchester.





	you find you're not the only stranger in this town

**Author's Note:**

> title from 'lonely is the night' by billy squier

Castiel isn't used to speaking. 

Through the millennia he's lived, he hasn't had the need to use the voice he's been given. He knows it's loud. Booming, assertive, strong. The very reason he was given his voice was to command the armies of Heaven. He wasn't placed in the highest garrison for nothing. 

But in all his years of fighting their battles and training their soldiers, he hasn't had the need to stretch his 'windpipe' once. A single wave of energy to his brothers and sisters and they know what he wants with them. A touch on the hand and his thoughts are expressed fully. There really is no need for him to speak. 

That all changes the moment he reaches Hell. He scowls at the demons, smiting them where they pool around him. 

_Where is the Righteous Man?_

But they don't respond. They don't even look at him, they just grip their claws into whatever shreds of his grace they can find, screaming blasphemy upon blasphemy as they try to strip him of his weapons. Castiel doesn't even have to blink; he strikes them where they stand and continue in his mission. 

When he finds the Righteous Man, he is humbled by the brightness of his soul. Even as he stands by the rack, cutting into other doomed souls, the beautiful light of his essence calls out to Castiel. He doesn't know what caused the Righteous Man to finally cave in, but he knows he will make the demons pay for it. Reaching him, however, is no easy task. Though the demons don't know of Heaven's agenda, they know that angels don't just drop into Hell without a very good reason, and they're determined to get in the way. 

 _These are your grounds_ , Castiel protests as he wraps his wings around him and shields himself from their blows,  _I will not kill unless provoked. Flee now and leave me to my work and I will not harm you so long as you remain away from us._

The demons sneer and laugh, but Castiel can sense their fear. Some back off, but many remain. Castiel doesn't even have to move as he shatters what little is left of their charred, shredded souls. Without any more obstacles in his way, Castiel feels a sense of relief as he approaches the Righteous Man.

He places a hand on his shoulder, and the Righteous Man screams aloud. Castiel pulls back tentatively, and sees clouds of smoke rise from where he had contact with his soul. Castiel realises the Righteous Man's time is running out, and he needs to get them both out of there before reinforcements come and it's too late. 

 _Come,_ Castiel says, and his voice is gentle,  _I am here to bring you away._

The Righteous Man is wary, and for good reason. Years of torture and agony will harden a person that way.

 _Come,_ Castiel repeats.  _We must leave now._

But the Righteous Man shakes his head and turns back to his victim. When Castiel places a hand on his shoulder once more, the Righteous Man growls and snaps at him, teeth bared and eyes feral like a wild animal. He doesn't speak; perhaps he has forgotten how to. There is a dangerous look in his eyes, and Castiel withdraws his hand once again. 

 _If you will not come, I will have to take you by force._ Castiel wishes he could say that he doesn't want to, but he doesn't trust that the demons lurking in the shadows around them to not be overcome with a burst of confidence that would cause them to charge upon Castiel, which would slow the mission by a large enough margin for the Righteous Man to be captured once more. 

Something changes in the Righteous Man's expression. It happens for only a second before his face curls back into something ugly, but Castiel catches it. For a moment, the Righteous Man almost looks sad; pensive, even. His shoulders sagged and he took a small step toward Castiel before seeming to recall where he was and what he was doing.

In that split second of hesitation, Castiel reaches forward and grabs the Righteous Man's shoulder once more. This time, even as he cries out, Castiel does not let go. Somehow he knows that for now until forever, he won't ever let go. 

It takes little to no time at all for Castiel to rebuild the Righteous Man once he's laid him down where he'd been buried. He removes the horrible gashes from the Hellhounds' vicious tearing and ripping, and takes away the plentiful scars that litter his body from the job he lives with. Castiel hesitates as he gazes upon the handprint still left on the Righteous Man's shoulder. It is the only memory the Righteous Man will have of their meeting down below. 

When he goes to report to those who sent him, Castiel cannot hide his curiosity. He has to know more about the Righteous Man, has to know more about the beacon of light he saw down in the Pit, that nothing could dim. Not even the bloodlust and monstrosity that the demons were turning him into.

Castiel's superiors are pleased, and they give him the information he thirsts for. The Righteous Man's lineage, his life story, the things he's done and the people he's saved. Castiel spends what seems like another millennium in itself poring over every nook and cranny he can worm his way into, until he knows Dean Winchester by heart, so well he could find him with his eyes closed and his grace drained in a room of a thousand others. 

By the time he returns to Earth for an update on the situation, Dean has crawled out of his grave and has made his way to what appears to be a tiny room on the side of a long, empty road. Castiel is more pleased than he'd care to admit, especially because Dean is alone and he finally has the chance to approach him properly. 

Castiel knows that  _seeing_ his true form is incredibly dangerous and downright impossible for most, so he guards himself behind the Veil that separates Heaven and Earth, and instead, introduces himself with words. 

 _Dean,_ he says, pride and delight in his voice. 

(Inside the gas station, the radio and television switch on without being prompted.)

 _I am glad to see you whole and without the swarms of pesky demons surrounding you,_ Castiel can't help but emit an extra wave of pleased energy. He thinks it's what humans would call laughing, or a smile. Something that shows happiness and satisfaction. 

(There is a particularly painful shriek and the windows begin to crack.)

Castiel begins to worry. Dean isn't responding. Has something happened? He checks, and Dean is still inside, hunched over with his hands over his ears and painful-sounding groans leaving his lips as he strains to stay grounded. 

 _Dean?_ Castiel's concern grows and he moves closer, trying to shield Dean from whatever is causing the discomfort. But the closer he moves, the more Dean curls into himself. The windows shatter, and glass sprays from all directions. 

Oh.

In the past, Castiel has heard of warnings from other garrisons as well as his superiors. Tales of their angelic presence being too strong for humans and causing permanent damage. The thought of hurting Dean rings alarm bells loud and clear, and Castiel hurriedly backs away from the tiny building. He sees Dean slowly regain mobility, and though it saddens Castiel that he was the one causing the pain, he is glad that it is all well and good now. 

Before he leaves so he doesn't cause any more pain, Castiel takes one last look at Dean Winchester. 

They'll meet again soon, he just knows it. 


End file.
